I paid her a number of compliments and then led round to the subject of the Prince, observing casually that I had just heard some news about him. "Tell me," she said, with a quick side glance and a very musical laugh, as she laid her hand on my arm with a little coaxing gesture. "It's awfully wicked, and Althea is always at me about it; but I love scandal. And I'm scarcely twenty yet. What I shall be at thirty makes me shudder. A regular old scandal-monger, I expect." "You are not shuddering; only smiling and looking very pretty. The Prince thinks you very pretty too, I presume, by the way he was looking at you when you were dancing with him just now." She laughed again. "What were you going to tell me?" "They say the Imperial Marriage is in danger because he----" I left the sentence unfinished intentionally. "Go on. Go on. Because----? Tell me." "Haven't you noticed anything which would enable you to finish the sentence?" "You don't mean--Althea?" Her voice sank to a whisper. I felt a grip at my heart at this confirmation. "Half the people here were watching them just now as they stood together in the centre of the room." She burst suddenly into a fit of merry, irresponsible laughter. "Isn't it fun?" she cried. I suppose it was, to her. I did not see the humour of it, however. "There may not be much laughter in it when the Kaiser hears," I growled. "Ah, the Kaiser!" and she shrugged her shapely shoulders petulantly. "What business has he to turn matchmaker? Why should not the Prince marry whom he pleases? Think what an ugly thing is that Princess von Altenvelt!" She appeared to be quite indignant on Althea's account. "It would cost the Prince the Emperor's favour and his position at Court," I replied; "and probably he would be packed off to some fever hole in the Colonies on military service. Nice for Althea, that. The Kaiser can be hard when he likes." "It is unjust! Infamous!" she exclaimed vehemently. "Poor Althea! But you don't think that really? The Kaiser likes him too well."
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